NOVEMBER

2011

Mon 11/1 Sibling

Relationships by

Laura Doerflinger

at 7pm LWIT

Kirkland Campus

Mon 11/7 Family

Night for Class G

6-7pm at RTG

Week of 11/21–

11/25

No classes this

week. Happy

Thanksgiving !

Mon 11/28 Board

Meeting at 7pm at

RTG Parents are

welcome!

Wed 11/16

Preschool Panel

Night at 7pm at

RTG

Thurs 11/17

Family Night for

class J and L

6-7pm at RTG

DECEMBER

2011

Sat 12/3 Miss

Anita’s Santa

Parties at RTG

12/9 Fall Quarter

ends

Sat 12/10 Miss

Ann’s Santa

Parties at RTG

RTG C A L E N D A R

Lake Washington Institute of Technology Redmond Campus Building 6505 176th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 425-869-5605

Redmond Toddler Group

www.redmondtoddler.org November 2011

Classes with openings!

Class K 0-12 months Wed 11:45 am -

1:45 pm

Class B 24-36 months Mon 11:15 am -

2:15 pm

Class L 24-36 months Thurs 12:15 pm -

2:15pm

It’s not too late! Please help spread the word!

Shop Amazon.com through

RTG website!

Click on the Amazon ad on the bottom

of our Homepage and Classes

page and you’ll be redirected to

Amazon.com. Do your shopping.

Depending on what’s purchased and

volume of sales through our website,

RTG will receive 4-15% of the amount

spent!

Feel free to join Amazon Mom and get

discounts on diapers, exclusive offers

and delivery right to your door!

A great and convenient way to help

support RTG! Tell your family and

friends!

Here’s where you click!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Our newsletter and RTG publicity is paid

for by our Toby Times advertisers. If you

do business with any of our sponsors,

please tell them you saw their ad here

or on our website!

Does your old laptop computer need

a new home? RTG is the place! We

need one to store our data base and

photos. If you would like to donate

yours, please let your teacher know.

RTG

Please!

Page 2 Toby Times

Sept/Oct 2011 Board

Meeting Highlights

- The Transitional Committee has developed Advisory Board

Roles and Responsibilities.

- Exploring other insurance company quotes

- Scholarships are still available

- We have 152 students

Thank you to those that came to the Oct. Board meeting!

We very much appreciate it!

- Change of Bylaws was voted on.

- Requirement of quorum was changed to simple majority.

- Vote by email approved

- Previous parent/student approved to be on board, however,

majority will still be current parents/students

- Advisory Board of community members and/or alumni

approved. Up to 5 people who will serve 3-5 year terms.

Similar to a Board of Trustees

*Next board meeting scheduled for Nov. 28. Parents are wel-

come to attend.

Please note : Budget and complete minutes from the latest

Board Meeting will be posted on the class bulletin board by the

paint dry rack.

THANK YOU!

The Redmond Toddler Group runs completely through

both the generosity and time donated by parents in the

program. The instructors are the only paid staff. This

means that phone calls, registration, accounting,

publicity, fundraising, etc. are all done by your fellow

classmates. If you’d like to help out, please talk to your

parent leader, your instructor or any board member. We

can *always* use the extra help! And if you run into a

parent leader or board member, be sure to thank him or

her for their extra efforts !!!

A special “Thank You!” to our Transitional

Committee members for working on the Advisory

Board Roles and Responsibilities

AMY JOHNSON

BRIANA SEGURA

SARAH WHEELWRIGHT

President Colleen Pryke

Registrar /VP Natalie Chabot, Vera Bremner

Treasurer Megan Anderson

Webmaster Chris Anderson

Publicity Himali Perthe

Fundraising Sarah Diamond, Megan Mehlum

Secretary Heather Armenise

Librarian Eleanor Jacka, Ann Bogart

Scholastic Books Mary Lech

Toby Times Editor Joy Randall

Class A—Parent Leader Eleanor Jacka

Class B—Parent Leader Vera Bremner

Class C—Parent Leader Carrie Dudek

Class D—Parent Leader Mi Young Chang

Class G—Parent Leader Vanessa Aguiar

Class J—Parent Leader Jane Lamond

Class K—Parent Leader Position still open!

Class L—Parent Leader Ann Goldstein

Class M—Parent Leader Tiffany Gore

Class N—Parent Leader Kristen Wilson

RTG Board of Directors

Parents, we would love to hear from you! Share your

activity ideas, recipes, fun crafts, tips, anecdotes,

opinions….we want it all!

Kindly email your contribution to Joy Randall at

joyous1118@gmail.com with Toby Times as subject

by November 18, 2011 to be included in the

next edition.

Page 3 Toby Times

Gleeful, Sad, Bashful, Mad

By Analiisa Reichlin

Anyone who has experienced life with a toddler knows that their topsy-turvy world is wrought with emotions. I’ve been amazed to watch my youngest experiment with melodramatics and facial expressions – pouting, anger, sobbing, silly, coy – just to see what kind of response she can elicit.

When a child can say “I want that ball”, or “I’m mad”, they are substituting words (an idea) for an action. Before they have the ability to express their emotions with words, they’ll have a feeling, and then automatically act on it by grabbing the ball, or hitting the offender. (That’s not to say that they won’t sometimes act on it once they have the words, but expressing in words is a prerequisite to empathy!)

Children who cannot identify and label their feelings have an action oriented approach to life, and are more likely to

use aggression as a way of dealing with their upsets.

When your child can identify and begin to understand the emotions they are experiencing, they are on their way to better express themselves to you – via words, rather than temper tantrums. I once had a world-renowned Speech and Language Therapist tell me that when children she worked with were just really starting to acquire language (no matter what age they were), and realized they didn’t yet have the ability to communicate effectively, they all went through a “temper tantrum” phase, venting their communication frustrations.

One of the fun ways to work on learning to identify and express emotions is through music. Every night I sing to Natalie before bed. As I take requests, I usually sing songs like “Twinkle Twinkle”, “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”, or a current favorite Kindermusik song. I’ll often ask her just how she wants me to sing her the song. As toddlers learn best in opposites, I might suggest happy or angry, silly or boring, scared or peaceful. We sometimes also pick a musical style, like high or low, fast or slow, and smooth or bumpy.

Usually Natalie ends up in fits of giggles (her favorite is “Twinkle Twinkle” fast and angry!) But she gets to increase her emotional vocabulary and we share a special moment together.

In the early childhood years (especially birth to 5), the more senses you can engage in learning, the faster and more complete a child will learn a concept. Movement is especially important. All young children need to move in order to learn. So, get up and move. Classical music (because of its frequent volume, tempo and key changes) is perfect for expressing emotions. Get your computer out. Pull up Dvorak’s Symphony no. 9 (the Allegro con fuoco) on YouTube.

Talk about feelings as the music changes. You, as a parent, must be “over-expressive” in your movements. Really big or tiny. Really fast or slow. Now’s not the time to be shy in your own living room! The more over-expressive the movement, the more likely your child is to copy you, and really understand the concept. The movements in Holst’s The Planets are high on contrasts, as well. Need some feeling words to get you started? Here’s a whole list! http://www.selfcraft.net/WRITEYOURSELF/EWords126.pdf

Eventually, as we help Natalie gain the words to express her feelings, ask for help, and problem solve, she will learn to be a healthy, secure, and coping adult. (If we can successfully navigate her teenage years first!)

Analiisa Reichlin is a licensed Kindermusik Educator and Director and Managing Partner of Studio3Music. With

7 locations around Seattle and the Eastside, Studio3Music has over 1000 happy visits each week. Analiisa has

a passion for early childhood development and teaching children and grownups alike. She is a frequent

commentator on BamRadio, the world’s largest educational radio network.

Page 4 Toby Times

Scholastic Book Orders!

Order Online OR in Class!

Scholastic Books orders are a great and inexpensive way to

help build your child’s reading library AND to help RTG. RTG

receives a FREE book for each order placed. To place your

order online, the deadline for ordering is

November 11, 2011 by 9:00 PM.

If you have already set up an account :

Go to www.scholastic.com/parentordering/login.jsp

Click on Parent enter your user ID and Password. Now you

should be able to view catalogs for the month and

place your order.

CLASS ACTIVATION CODE is GNBT2

If you have not yet set up your account, instructions are

available at the Scholastic Inbox at school. Alternatively, you

can order using the printed flyer and hand in a Club order form

with a check. Any questions, contact Mary Lech at

m.lech@comcast.net .

Aut-yum Leaves Recipe

Here's a treat no kid will leaf

behind. Made with store-bought

piecrust dough, these leaves are

filled with chocolate and peanut

butter chips -- but try jam and

cream cheese, or chocolate

chips, walnuts, and mini marsh-

mallows, if you prefer.

Ingredients

1 egg 1 teaspoon of water

Prepared pie crust Mini chocolate chips

Peanut butter chips Raw sugar

Flour for work surface

Instructions

1.Heat the oven to 375°. Whisk one egg with a teaspoon of

water and set it aside.

2.On a floured surface, roll out a prepared pie crust so it's

about 1/8-inch thick. Use a large leaf-shaped cookie cutter

(ours is 4 1/2-inches wide) to make as many dough leaf pairs

as possible.

3.For each pocket, spread about 4 teaspoons of mini choco-

late chips and peanut butter chips on a leaf, leaving a 1/2-

inch margin at the edge. Brush egg wash onto the edge,

place a second leaf on top, and press the edges to seal.

4.Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle it generously with

raw sugar. Bake the leaves on a parchment-covered cookie

sheet until their edges are just beginning to brown, about 12

minutes. Let them rest on the sheet a few minutes before

moving them to a cooling rack.

From familyfun.go.com

Page 5 Toby Times

Stop and Smell the Flowers -- A Breathing Exercise for Kids

By, Anna Starikov

Life is busy and can be stressful - when was the last time you stopped and smelled the flowers with your child?

You are probably wondering what flowers have to do with breathing...more than you can imagine. As a yoga teacher, I notice

how much calmer and happier my students (adults and kids of all ages) are after a class. One of the many benefits of

practicing yoga is the opportunity to cultivate your awareness of your breath allowing you to use your breath as a tool to help

you be more present and bring more peace to your mind and body. This sounds great, but how does it work?

There are two nervous systems in the human body: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. The

sympathetic nervous system causes a stress response in our body: our blood pressure rises, our breath rate quickens and

stress hormones (like adrenaline) flood our body. This is often known as our “fight or flight” response. Historically, this was an

important response that helped protect us in the face of danger. However, in modern times, our sympathetic nervous system

is triggered throughout the day while we are running late and facing stressful situations. When a child is in the middle of a

tantrum, is faced with a difficult task or a stressful social situation at school, their sympathetic nervous system is triggered.

When this system is stimulated too many times, our bodies can encounter health issues such as headaches, upset stomachs and

other conditions.

The parasympathetic nervous system has the opposite effect on our body. It lowers blood pressure, slows our breath rate and

allows blood to flow to all areas of the body helping the body to heal. Breathing can actually trigger the parasympathetic

nervous system and encourage this healing process. The trick is to learn how to breath mindfully and then use this skill to help

you cope in a difficult situation.

Smelling flowers is one fun way to help your child learn to become aware of their breath. Here’s how you do it:

Real Flowers:Spring is a great time to do this exercise with real flowers. You can get a bouquet at the store, or find flowers

at the park or in your own garden. If the flower is cut, have your child hold it in their hands and ask them to "smell the flow-

er". Once they do, mention the word "inhale" and "breathe in" as they're smelling it so they equate the action of smelling

something with inhaling and breathing in.

Then have them blow air through their mouth by encouraging them to "blow on the petals and make them move" and mention

the words "exhale" and "breathe out" as they do. You can do the same with planted flowers. Show them by doing it yourself.

Silk Flowers:Since we’re in the middle of Fall and may not have access to as many fresh flowers, you can also use silk flowers

for this exercise. You may wish to put a drop of essential oil (lavender is a great one) in the middle of the flower so it has a

nice scent (of course, be sure to use a scent that they're not allergic to and note that if the child is taking any homeopathic

remedy, they should stay away from strong scents as the scents will interfere with their treatment). Have your child hold the

silk flower and follow the same technique and cues that were described when using real flowers.

Other Scents:You can also use other scents to help them learn to "inhale." All you need in some kind of container with holes

at the top. You can use empty, clean salt and pepper shakers, or even a paper cup covered with a paper towel. Punch a few

holes in the paper towel and secure it to the cup with a rubber band.

Place items with strong, pleasant scents inside the containers.

Orange rinds or cinnamon are two items that work well for this

exercise. Have your child close their eyes and have them "smell"

the shakers and mention "inhale". Then see if they can tell you

what they smell.

Eventually your child will be able to "inhale" and "exhale" without

a flower or shaker and will learn to use their breath to work

through a stressful situation. With a little reminder from you,

your child can "breathe" through a tantrum, triggering their

parasympathetic nervous system bringing a sense of calm to their

bodies so they can think more clearly and move on. It's a

wonderful skill, which will serve them well throughout their life!

Anna is a mother of 2 and owner of Blossoming Yogis, a yoga

program offering Prenatal Yoga, Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for babies, tots and tykes as well as yoga for kids of all ages.

Page 6 Toby Times

Used and working top-loading clothes washer.

Smaller model is preferred, as I will be using it

only for cloth diaper laundry.

Please email Vera at knittingvee@gmail.com.

Megan and Chris Anderson from Class A are the proud parents of

Charlotte Marie. Born September 16, 2011 at 6 lbs and 4 oz.

Their son, Jacob is so excited to be a big brother!

Would you like to welcome a

new baby to our community?

We are happy to publish baby

announcements !

If there is a birth or adoption in

your class, please submit the

names of the parents, new baby and sibling(s), along with your

class letter. Send all information to joyous1118@gmail.com, or

leave it in the Toby Times box in the Parent Education room.

The flu season is fast

approaching, if it isn’t

already here. We want you

to know that we take illness

at school very seriously but

we need the cooperation of all

the families in order to have our efforts be effective.

Now that your toddlers are no longer babies they

will get sick more often. This is because the

immune protections that were passed on to them

during pregnancy and early breastfeeding are

wearing off, they put more things in their mouths,

and they have more physical contact with people

and objects. The good news is that exposure to

more illnesses builds up their immune system for

when they are older.

Make sure that you always stay home if you or your

child has any of the following symptoms of the flu:

fever over 100 F, cough, sore throat, body aches,

headaches, chills, fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting. Do

not return to school until your child has been

symptom free for at least 24 hours without the use

of fever-reducing drugs. Please see your student

handbook for a list of other symptoms that should

keep you home.

Whenever you miss school, for illness or another

reason, please email your student leader. If you

are staying home because of the flu please tell your

parent leader that so that she can pass it on to the

teacher. We want to monitor how many cases of flu

occur in a class in case we need to take extra pre-

cautions.

Please remember the best ways to prevent the flu is

to wash hands with soap for 20 seconds or hand

sanitizer, cover coughs, use the mouthed toy bin,

and staying home when sick. We wish you all a

healthy school year. Miss Ann

"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate."

Anonymous

Page 7 Toby Times

Allowing Our Children to Guide the Way

By Lana Kogan

When our kids are born, we marvel at them. We look at their tiny faces, trying to imagine what kind of people they will

become. We quietly wonder, if they will be smart, athletic, and good-looking. Most of all, we want them to be happy.

We provide our kids with the best environment possible. We burn the midnight oil reading parenting books and we

enroll our children in all kinds of classes. We strive to be perfect parents. But how many times do we pause and think,

are we doing what’s best for our kids, or are we just trying to create mini-versions of ourselves? What do our kids really

want? Are they really enjoying sports like their dad wants them to? Do they have fun in music classes that mom

proudly signed them up for? What direction would they take if we let them guide the way?

When I was growing up my father, a math professor, was convinced I would grow up to be a mathematician. My

mother, on the other hand, wanted me to become a great athlete. Naturally, I was enrolled in early education classes

and athletic programs since I could remember.

My uncle, an avid sports photographer, used to develop his film in my grandma’s bathroom. I was the only family mem-

ber allowed to participate in the process. I was only 5 years old. One of my earliest memories is standing in a cramped

darkroom that smelled of chemicals, holding a pair of tongs, and looking at the images magically appearing on paper.

At first, my parents were very skeptical about my fascination with photography. The turning point for them was when I

promised to get straight A’s if they would get me my own “real” camera. I kept my promise, and I turned my solid C’s

into straight A’s. My parents were impressed. I still remember the way my very first camera felt in my hands. The click

of the shutter, the creak of the leather strap, and the cold glass of a viewfinder pressed against my face. I believe that

was the first time in my life I mentally registered the feeling of intense happiness. Lots of things changed over the years,

but photography has been my constant love ever since.

When I became a parent myself, I realized how hard it was for my parents to put their dreams and expectations aside

and allow me to pursue my passion. One of the hardest things about being a parent is to treat our children as

individuals, not as extensions of ourselves. It is very tempting to think that our kids will accomplish everything that we

didn’t get a chance to accomplish. I believe the ultimate gift

of love a parent can give to a child is to allow them to find

their own dreams and pursue those dreams. We want only

the best for our children. We wish them to be happy and

feel fulfilled in life. Letting them guide the way can be a

good start.

Lana Kogan is a mother of two and founder of Lana Kogan

Photography. She specializes in newborn, child, and family

photography. She offers a variety of photographic products,

from digital images to custom-made photo books. For more

information please call 206-659-9237.

Educating For

58 Years! Now Enrolling

Page 8 Toby Times

Now Enrolling

RTG Wheel-a-thon

Fundraiser a Great

Success!

Despite the relentless rain, the

wheels rolled and the smiles

substituted for the sunshine. It was

a great turnout of families enjoying

music, face painting and a snack

booth. Thank you to everyone

who came out and to our sponsors

for helping make our event

such a success!

A Custom Stitch

In Sweet Violets

Lucky Jack's Latte

Emerald City Gymnastics

Gotta Dance

Little Kickers

Orange Blossom Society

Pacific Northwest Costume

RTG WEBMASTER

WANTED!

The Webmaster maintains RTG’s website with up to date

information for students and the public. The website is

already in existence so most of the work involves using an

HTML editor, copying and pasting previous code and then

updating it with new dates or events. Not that different from

using Word. When the page is updated, it needs to be

uploaded to the website, so it is available for everyone to

see. This is done with an FTP software. Again, pretty

similar to copying files from one directory to another in

Windows. Software for HTML editor and FTP are available

on the internet for free.

Chris, the previous Webmaster, will provide a step by step

guide and will be available to help the new person with the

transition.

If you think you or your spouse can help, please contact

your teacher.

Expand the Library!

Here are some books that have been requested to be

in our library. If you have any and would like to

donate we would greatly appreciate it!

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson & Ashley Merriman

Unplugging Power Struggles: Resolving Emotional

Battles with Your Kids, Ages 2 to 10 by Jan Faull

Raising Happiness by Christine Carter

Momma Zen Karen Maezen Miller

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner

Family Traditions

When I think of the holidays, I always think of family traditions. Most importantly, what family traditions will I continue or begin with my young family. I have fond memories of decorations, eating traditional food at our family parties, dancing and of course the fun gifts. What I cherished overall, was the time spent with those that I loved. However you celebrate the holidays, family traditions help forge a bond and create lifelong memories.

I found a wonderful article, 15 Meaningful Holiday Traditions and Fun Family Activities on Parent Map here:

http://www.parentmap.com/article/15-meaningful-holiday-traditions-and-fun-family-activities

I love the idea of making a Leaves of Gratitude Tree. Acknowledging what we are thankful for is what I wish to instill in my children. And remind myself of too more often!

There were other great ideas, but we would love to hear what family traditions you cherish. No matter how elaborate or simple, share what traditions you wish to continue or those that you want to begin with your family.

Email me at joyous1118@gmail.com by November 18, 2001 with subject, Toby Times, so I can include it in our Dec/Jan issue. Joy Randall

Events Around Town

Free Museum Pass through King County Library System Through November 2011

KCLS has partnered with area museums to offer free museum passes to KidsQuests, Bellevue Arts Museum, MOHAI &

WA State History Museum. Register online! http://www.kcls.org/programs/museumpasses.cfm

Eastside Mothers Club Vendors Fair 11/03/2011

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping at this vendor fair showcasing local mom-owned businesses! This is a great chance to

buy quality, educational, and fun items and help support small businesses. Vendors include Discovery Toys, Usbourne Books,

Holli Dunn Photography, Biltmore Inspirations, and more! Life Community Church, 232 5th Ave S, Kirkland 10-12pm

KidsQuest Children’s Museum – First Friday Night Free 11/04/2011

Bring the whole family to explore, play, and learn together for free! KidsQuest is free to the public on

the first Friday night of each month from 5-8pm. www.kidsquestmuseum.org

Cultural Crossroads Festival 11/04-06/2011

Mark your calendar for a multicultural celebration featuring performances from 35 ethnic music and dance groups.

Plus an international bazaar filled with handmade crafts. www.crossroadsbellevue.com

Happy 5th Birthday Zoomazium at Woodland Park Zoo 11/05-06/2011

Zoomazium is turning 5 and you’re invited to help celebrate this milestone with a Zoomazium style birthday bash! Enjoy

cupcakes, crafts, performances by the Toucans, birthday themed activities, animal encounters, puppet shows, and much more!

Ages 0-8, free with admission, 10-4pm. www.zoo.org

Winter Wildlife at Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center 11/06/2011

What happens to wildlife in winter? Discover how our year round wildlife survive the Pacific NW winter, and who migrates to

Mercer Slough during the winter months. All ages, 2:30-3pm, free. 1625 118th Ave SE, Bellevue #425-452-6885

Juanita Bay Wildlife Tour 11/06/2011

Grab your binoculars and join Juanita Bay Park volunteer rangers for a super-fun wildlife tour. View and experience the hun-

dreds of plant and animal species that inhabit this unique park. Plus, explore the boardwalks and check out the interpretive

signs and observation areas. Tours meet in the parking lot at 1:00 pm. No registration is required.

Bellevue Fire Station 6 Visit 11/08/2011

Calling all firefighter wannabes! Come and see a real working firetruck up close and meet firefighters at this special event! All

ages, 2-3pm, free. Bellevue Art and Frame and The Toy Place 13131 NE 20th street, Bellevue

The Frog Prince at Bellevue Youth Theatre 11/11-19/2011

This charming story about an unlikely romance between an enchanted frog and a princess is perfect for the

whole family. Watch what happens when a frog races against a curse to win the heart of a reluctant

princess. All ages. #425-452-7155

Baby, Young Toddler & Toddler Story Times at the Redmond Library 11/16-30/2011

Baby (6-12mos) 11/18 & 25 at 11am; Young Toddler (12-24mos) 11/16 & 23 & 30 at 11am; Toddler (2yrs) 11/17 at 10:15am

Woodland Park Zoo Turkey Toss 11/19/2011

Enjoy watching the zoo's animals diving into their own turkey feasts! 10-2pm www.zoo.org

Caspar Babypants Show at Woodinville Library 11/22/2011

Free solo show 7pm! Please call ahead for admission information. #425-788-0733

Santa Train 11/26-27/2011

Ride the Santa Train from the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie. www.trainmuseum.org